After 7 years, China and the UK will restart strategic dialogue. Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Strengthening communication and cooperation between China and the UK is beneficial for both sides and the world

  This is the resumption of the China UK strategic dialogue after a gap of 7 years, and multiple foreign media outlets have stated that this move marks the gradual thawing and recovery of China UK relations.

The China UK Strategic Dialogue mechanism is an important channel for in-depth communication between the two sides. China and the UK established a strategic dialogue mechanism in September 2005 and upgraded the dialogue level in March 2010. The last China UK Strategic Dialogue was held in Beijing in July 2018, and it has been 7 years since then. Reuters reported on the 10th that Foreign Minister Wang Yi will hold talks with Lamy, "marking the normalization of bilateral relations after years of tension. The spokesperson for British Prime Minister Stamer stated that the issues to be discussed by both sides include international security and the war in Ukraine.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated at a regular press conference on the 10th that China and the UK are both permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and major economies in the world, and strengthening communication and cooperation is beneficial for both sides and the world. Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit is an important action to implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries. China will hold a China UK strategic dialogue with the UK to conduct extensive and in-depth strategic communication on bilateral and global issues, deepen mutual trust and cooperation, jointly lead the stable and far-reaching development of China UK relations, and add confidence and momentum to world peace, stability, development and prosperity.

Last November, the leaders of China and the UK held a meeting during the G20 summit. According to the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong, Prime Minister Stamer promised during the meeting that the UK would become a "predictable and pragmatic partner". He said that his approach will be based on the national interests of the UK, but he hopes to deepen the trade relationship between the UK and China.

Since taking office in July last year, the British Labour government has sent two cabinet ministers to visit China, dedicated to seeking to improve relations with Beijing. Last October, Lamy made an official visit to China; In January of this year, Chancellor of the Exchequer Reeves visited China and the two sides restarted the China UK Economic and Financial Dialogue, which had been postponed since 2019. The dialogue achieved 69 mutually beneficial and win-win outcomes.

When Reeves visited China in January, both sides had already discussed specific economic and trade issues. The focus of Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to the UK this time is on strategic security dialogue, "Professor Wang Shuo from the School of International Relations at Beijing Foreign Studies University said in an interview with Global Times on the 11th. This reflects the trend of China UK relations gradually developing towards normalization.

Reuters reported that during the past few Conservative governments, the relationship between the UK and China has fallen to its lowest point in decades, and the Labour government, which took power in July last year, has made improving relations with China one of its main foreign policy goals.

Li Guanjie, a think tank researcher at the UK Research Center of the Shanghai Institute of Global Governance and Regional Studies at Shanghai Foreign Studies University and a specially appointed expert at the European Union Research Center, told Global Times on the 11th that Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit aims to restart the China UK Strategic Dialogue, which has been on hold for 7 years, to first communicate and then resolve conflicts and problems. He believes that this visit is a response to Rami's visit to China last year. As long as an effective dialogue mechanism is established at the senior level, the friction between China and the UK will be well resolved, at least not isolated from China like the Conservative government. Wang Shuo analyzed that the relationship between the UK and the US has always been an important factor affecting the relationship between China and the UK. The current changes in the Trump administration's European policy have put increasing pressure on the UK. Many people in Europe, including the UK, agree to be more proactive in dealing with China and to consider their own practical survival and development issues.

In addition to restarting the China UK strategic dialogue, the relocation plan of the Chinese Embassy in the UK has also received attention from British public opinion. The Guardian recently reported that Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to the UK is currently in a "politically sensitive period". On February 11th, the UK will hold an investigative hearing on China's plan to build a new embassy in East London. Reuters said, 'This stalled project has always been one of the root causes of diplomatic tensions between the two countries.'.

Regarding this, Li Guanjie stated that the construction of the embassy in the UK has been put on hold by the Conservative government in the name of security, and the Labour government's hearing may be aimed at examining this security risk. The Guardian reported that after the British Labour Party came to power last year, China once again submitted relevant applications. Earlier this year, Lamy and UK Home Secretary Cooper expressed support for the embassy relocation plan.